Lichen planus (LP) is a common inflammatory, recurrent and chronic disease of the skin and mouth or both. It may also affect the genital mucosa. The name “Lichen” refers to the lichen plant, which grows on rocks or trees and “planus” means flat. The cause of LP is not known. It is not an infectious disease so afflicted person does not transmit it. The disease is not a form of cancer. It does appear to be genetic and it is not related to nutrition. It is considered as an autoimmune disease. Antihypertensice medicines and NSAIDS often induce Lichen Planus. It affects men and women equally.
Reddish-purple, flat-topped lesions that may be very itchy characterize LP of the skin. Some may have a white lacy appearance called Wickham's Striae. It can affect any part of the body, but seems to favor the ventral surface of the wrist and ankles. It also occurs on the lower back, neck and genitals and in rare cases, the scalp and nails. Blisters are rare except in special cases called bullous LP (Vesicles and bullae may occur on typical lesions of LP in this variant due to severe basal cell degeneration induced by the inflammatory process). Although typical appearance of LP makes the disease somewhat easy to identify, a skin biopsy may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. As it heals, dermal LP often leaves a dark brown discoloration on the skin. Like the lesion themselves, these stains may eventually fade with time without treatment.
LP of the mouth most commonly occurs on the inner surface of the cheeks, but can affect the tongue, lips and gums. Oral LP is more difficult to treat and typically lasts longer than LP on the skin. Oral LP typically appears as patches of fine white lines and dots, which usually do not cause problems. More severe from of oral LP can cause painful sores and ulcers in the mouth. Patients with oral LP may be at a slightly increased risk of developing oral cancer. There is no known cure for oral LP although there are many treatments that eliminate the pain of sores. It can lead to poor dental hygiene and gum disease. Careful daily oral hygiene is very important.
LP of the genitals is less common in men than women; women have vulvar or vaginal LP. There may be no problem if it is mild, but red areas or open scores may cause pain, especially with sexual intercourse and needs treatment.
Nail changes have been observed in LP. Nail changes associated with LP include longitudinal ridging and grooving, splitting, nail thinning and nail loss. In severe cases nail may be temporarily or permanently destroyed.
LP can also affect hairy areas such as the scalp in rare cases. This is called lichen planopilaris (also known as Follicular LP). This may accompany typical lesions or may be the sole morphologic type. There are small lesions centered around hair follicles. Lesions on scalp may cause redness, irritation and in some cases, permanent hair loss.
LP may be unpleasant and difficult to treat, but it is a stable condition. The severity and distribution of the disease rarely changes after the first few months.
There is no known cure for LP but symptomatic and ameliorative treatment is often effective in relieving itching and in improving the appearance of the rash until it goes away. Every case of LP is different hence there is no treatment available which is perfect. Two most common treatments include the use of topical corticosteroids or other anti-inflammatory drugs and antihistamines taken orally. More severe cases of LP may require stronger medications such as steroids taken systemically or a specific form of ultraviolet light treatment called PUVA. There are several disadvantages of PUVA treatment:                It is expensive, needs sophisticated machinery and skilled technicians to handle the machinery.        Further UV radiation can cause more harm than good and direct exposure to UV rays may result in the formation of skin cancer like Myeloma.        
Topical corticosteroids and oral antihistamine medication only suppress the disease and provide relief from pain and itching; it does not cure the disease.
Possible side effects of steroids for males and females include the following:                High blood pressure and heart disease        Liver damage and cancers        Stroke and blood clots        Urinary and bowel problems, such as diarrhea        Headaches, aching joints and muscle cramps        Nausea and vomiting        Sleep problems        Increased risk of ligament and tendon injuries        Severe acne, especially on face and back        Baldness        
Similarly, the possible side effect of Antihistamine for males and females include the following:                Drowsiness        Dizziness        Loss of appetite        Stomach upset        Vision changes        Dry mouth and nose        Headache        
U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,836 discloses carbocyclic potassium channel inhibitors. The compounds of this invention are useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin diseases, psoriasis, atopical dermatitis, contact dermatitis, eczematous dermatitises, seborrhoeis dermatitis, Lichen planus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,165 describes invention related to phosphate derivatives as immunoregulatory agents that have immunoregulatory activity. The immunoregulatory abnormalities that can be treated by compounds of this invention can be inflammatory, hyper proliferative skin diseases, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, eczematous dermatitis, seborrhoic dermatitis and Lichen planus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,478 discloses a class of triterpene derivatives, useful as immunosuppressive agents, for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like Lichen planus.
In all these formulations, administration can be oral, topical or parentral. In topical treatment the application of drug is tedious and cumbersome job, it takes time, also availability of the active medication in the body is not predictable. Parentral treatment is painful and it requires skilled person. All the above-mentioned methods of treatment are of allopathic systems of medicines and have its own limitations. The treatment is generally symptomatic and there is no deep level of healing and recovery, also it does not offer long lasting cure and have some side effects.
Hence there is a need for a novel formulation for treatment of chronic inflammatory skin disease such as LP, which has a curative effect rather than a symptomatic effect and has a longer effect. Homeopathy treatment is constitutional; hence there is deep level of healing and recovery. It offers long lasting cure instead of temporary relief and is absolutely harmless, safe and non-toxic.